Senecio cruentus plant named &#39;Sunsenebubakai&#39;

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a new and distinct variety of  Senecio  plant having blue and white-bicolored ray floerts, and upright and medium sized appearance.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119to U.S. provisional plant patent application 61/965,150, filed Jan. 23,2014, entitled ‘Sunsenebubakai.’

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Senecio cruentus (Masson ex L′Hér.) DC.

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘Sunsenebubakai’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Senecioplant, which is hereinafter referred to as ‘Sunsenebubakai.’

A Senecio cruentus (Masson ex L′Hér.) DC. is a very popular plant thatis used in flower bedding and potting in the winter and spring seasons.

The purpose of this invention is to obtain a new Senecio cultivar withabundant and large sized petals having blue and white-bicolored rayfloerts, and an upright and medium sized appearance.

The new Senecio plant originated from cross-pollination of the femaleparent ‘09-83’ and the male parent ‘09-09’. The female parent ‘09-83’(unpatented) used in the crossing of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is a strain of theapplicant's breeding lines (i.e., proprietary Senecio selection), havingwhite petals, and the male parent ‘09-09’ (unpatented) used in thecrossing of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is a strain of the applicant's breedinglines (i.e., proprietary Senecio selection), having light blue andpink-bicolored petals. The cross-pollination was conducted in March,2010, at Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan.

In February 2011, the seedlings obtained by the crossing were planted ina field, and some seedlings were selected in view of growth habit,flower size and color thereof. Shortly thereafter stem tip culturing wascarried out, and then the propagation was started.

In November 2013, the cultivation of the seedlings was repeated. Thebotanical characteristics of that plant were then examined, usingsimilar variety ‘Sunsenebuba’ for comparison. As a result, it wasconcluded that this Senecio plant is distinguishable from any othervariety, whose existence is known, and has uniform and stablecharacteristics.

The new variety of Senecio plant was then named ‘Sunsenebubakai’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new variety is unlike any Senecio commercially available asevidenced by the following unique combinations of characteristics.

1. Abundant and large sized petals having blue and white-bicolored rayfloerts.

2. Upright and medium sized appearance.

The new variety ‘Sunsenebubakai’ differs from the similar variety‘Sunsenebuba’, which was applied for Japanese plant variety protection(the application number: 12095; the application date: 199/11/10; theregistration number 10653; the registration date: 2002Sep. 31), in thefollowing points.

1. The ray floret color of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is bicolor, blue (95B) andwhite (NN155C). That of ‘Sunsenebuba’ is bicolor, violet-blue (93B) andwhite (NN155C).

2. The flower diameter of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is about 81 mm. That of‘Sunsenebuba’ is about 68 mm.

3. Ray floret length of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is about 31 mm. That of‘Sunsenebuba’ is about 27 mm.

4. The disc diameter of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is about 16 mm. That of‘Sunsenebuba’ is about 12 mm.

This new variety of Senecio plant ‘Sunsenebubakai’ was asexiallyreproduced by the use of cuttings at Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, andhomogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed. The instant plantretains its distinctive characteristics and produces true to type insuccessive generations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The depicted plants had been reproduced by the use of cuttings and werephotographed during November 2013 while growing outdoors in wall potswhich were about 15 cm in size at an age of approximately 6 months.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of a typical plant of the new variety of Senecioplant ‘Sunsenebubakai’ while growing in a pot.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of a close view of flowers of the new variety ofSenecio plant ‘Sunsenebubakai’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In November 2013, the cultivation of the seedlings was repeated atHigashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The average day temperature was about 10° C.,and the average night temperature was about 5° C. The plants were grownunder natural sunlight. The number of days to flowering (response time)was about 22 weeks. The quality was maintained for about 150 days. Theplants had temperature resistance to about 0° C. (the lowesttemperature) and about 30° C. (the highest temperature). Further, theplants had the same tolerance to pests and pathogens as a typicalSenecio plant.

For the parentage information: The female parent ‘09-83’ (unpatented)used in the crossing of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is a strain of the applicant'sbreeding lines (i.e., proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus), havingwhite petals, and the male parent ‘09-09’ (unpatented) used in thecrossing of ‘Sunsenebubakai’ is a strain of the applicant's breedinglines (i.e., proprietary selection of Senecio cruentus), having lightblue and pink-bicolored petals.

For the propagation information: the number of days in which rootsstarted to form during the summer was about 7 days; approximate soiland/or air temperature during the summer was around 18-20° C.; number ofdays in which roots started to form during the winter was about 7 days;approximate soil and/or air temperature during the winter was around18-20° C.; number of days to produce a rooted young plant during thesummer was about 28 days; number of days to produce a rooted young plantduring the winter was about 28 days; root density was fine; rootbranching was free; root color was white; and root texture was fibrous.

The botanical characteristics of the new and distinct variety of Senecioplant named ‘Sunsenebubakai’ at an age of approximately 6 months areshown in the following Table. In the following description, thecolor-coding is in accordance with the Horticultural Colour Chart of TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Colour Chart 5thedition 2007).

PLANT VARIETY DESCRIPTION APPLICATION VARIETY CHARACTERISTICSunsenebubakai ANNUAL, BIENNIAL or Grown as annual PERENNIAL? TYPE OFPLANT: i.e., TREE, Potted plant SHRUB, SUBSHRUB, VINE, CUT FLOWER,POTTED PLANT APPROPRIATE CONTAINERS +/or Ideal for pots CROPPING SYSTEMGROWTH HABIT Upright PLANT HEIGHT About 47.0 cm PLANT DIAMETER OR AREAOF About 57.0 cm SPREAD PLANT VIGOR Vigorous BRANCHING HABIT Freelybranching PINCHING REQUIRED? Not required, 1~2 pinching stimulatebrunching NUMBER OF LATERAL BRANCHES About 8 LATERAL BRANCH LENGTH About29.5 cm LATERAL BRANCH DIAMETER About 7.1 mm INTERNODE LENGTH About 15.7mm STEM ASPECT Upright STEM COLOR (and bark color, Near 143A RHS ifapplicable) STEM COLOR (anthocyanin Near - RHS coloration) STEMPUBESCENCE? Pubescent OTHER PLANT/STEM — CHARACTERISTICS LEAFARRANGEMENT Alternate COMPOUND OR SIMPLE? Simple LEAF (LEAFLET) SHAPECordate LEAF (LEAFLET) TIP Acute LEAF (LEAFLET) BASE Cordate LEAF LENGTHAbout 64.3 mm LEAF WIDTH About 72.9 mm LEAF THICKNESS About 1.1 mm LEAF(LEAFLET) TEXTURE Smooth LEAF PUBESCENCE? (Upper side) Dense LEAFPUBESCENCE COLOR Near - RHS LEAF (LEAFLET) MARGIN Palmately lobed,dentate DEGREE OF SERRATION Shallow UNDULATION Undulated, weak VENATIONPATTERN Reticulate venation LEAF COLOR, IMMATURE, UPPER Near 137C RHSSIDE LEAF COLOR, IMMATURE, LOWER Near 93C RHS SIDE LEAF COLOR, MATURE,UPPER Near 137B RHS SIDE LEAF COLOR, MATURE, LOWER Near 191A RHS SIDEVENATION COLOR, UPPER SIDE Near 144A RHS VENATION COLOR, LOWER SIDE Near144A RHS PETIOLE LENGTH About 50.0 mm PETIOLE DIAMETER About 2.4 mmPETIOLE TEXTURE Tomentose PETIOLE COLOR Near 144A RHS WING Absent WINGLENGTH About - mm WING DIAMETER About - mm STIPULES, TENDRILS, THORNS,SPINES OR PRICKLES? IF SO, Absent GIVE COLOR AND SIZE OTHER FOLIAGECHARACTERISTICS — FLOWER ARRANGEMENT Daisy-type inflorescence borne inupper leaf INFLORESCENCE TYPE OR FORM Mounding (if applicable)INFLORESCENCE DIAMETER About 22.0 cm INFLORESCENCE HEIGHT About 26.0 cmFLOWER TYPE or FORM Single Continuous flowering - FLOWERING HABIT Budsgrow one after another from axils. QUANTITY OF FLOWERS and BUDS About144 PER PLANT QUANTITY OF FLOWERS PER About 6 INFLORESCENCE NATURALFLOWERING SEASON Substantially continuous blooming from winter to latespring TIME TO FLOWER OR RESPONSE About 24 weeks TIME FRAGRANCE AbsentFLOWER BUD LENGTH About 7.3 mm FLOWER BUD DIAMETER About 6.3 mm FLOWERBUD SHAPE Globose FLOWER BUD COLOR Near 144A RHS FLOWER ASPECT; i.e.,UPRIGHT, Upright OUTWARD, DROOPING, etc. FLOWER SHAPE Daisy like shapeFLOWER DIAMETER About 81.0 mm FLOWER DEPTH (HEIGHT) About 12.0 mm FLOWERLONGEVITY ON PLANT About 2 weeks at around 15° C. PERSISTENT ORSELF-CLEANING? Persistent *RAY FLORETS RAY FLORET TEXTURE, UPPER VelvetySURFACE. RAY FLORET TEXTURE, LOWER Smooth SURFACE RAY FLORET ARRANGEMENTDaisy type RAY FLORET NUMBER About 13 RAY FLORET SHAPE Narrow ellipticRAY FLORET MARGIN Entire RAY FLORET TIP Bitten RAY FLORET BASE — RAYFLORET LENGTH About 31.0 mm RAY FLORET WIDTH About 7.9 mm RAY FLORETCOLOR , WHEN Near Main N89A Center RHS OPENING, UPPER SIDE NN155C RAYFLORET COLOR , WHEN Near - RHS OPENING, LOWER SIDE RAY FLORET COLOR,FULLY Near Main 95B Center OPENED, UPPER SIDE NN155C RHS RAY FLORETCOLOR, FULLY Near - RHS OPENED, LOWER SIDE RAY FLORET COLOR, FADING TONear - RHS *DISC FLORET DISC DIAMETER About 16.0 mm DISC COLOR (DISCFLORET Near N89C RHS IMMATURE, MATURE) DISC FLORET NUMBER About 137 DISCFLORET SHAPE Tubular DISC FLORET TIP 5 pointed DISC FLORET BASE FusedDISC FLORET LENGTH About 7.2 mm DISC FLORET DIAMETER About 1.2 mmINVOLUCURE SHAPE Cup shape INVOLUCURE TEXTURE Smooth INVOLUCURE COLORNear 143A RHS INVOLUCURE LENGTH About 7 mm INVOLUCURE DIAMETER About 8.4mm INVOLUCURE ARRANGEMENT Single whorl, fused NUMBER OF INVOLUCURALBRACTS About 15 (PHYLLARIES) INVOLUCURAL BRACT (PHYLLARY) LanceolateSHAPE INVOLUCURAL BRACT (PHYLLARY) Entire MARGIN INVOLUCURAL BRACT(PHYLLARY) Narrow acute TIP INVOLUCURAL BRACT (PHYLLARY) Fused BASEINVOLUCURAL BRACT (PHYLLARY) Smooth TEXTURE INVOLUCURAL BRACT (PHYLLARY)About 8.5 mm LENGTH INVOLUCURAL BRACT (PHYLLARY) About 2.2 mm WIDTHINVOLUCURAL BRACT (PHYLLARY) Near 144A RHS COLOR, UPPER SIDE INVOLUCURALBRACT (PHYLLARY) Near 144C RHS COLOR, LOWER SIDE PEDUNCLE LENGTH About32.3 mm PEDUNCLE DIAMETER About 2.9 mm PEDUNCLE ANGLE Upright to semi-upright PEDUNCLE TEXTURE Smooth PEDUNCLE COLOR Near 144A RHS STAMENNUMBER 5 per a disc floret ANTHER SHAPE Ellipsoidal ANTHER COLOR NearN186A RHS AMOUNT OF POLLEN POLLEN COLOR Near 7B RHS PISTIL NUMBER 1 pera ray and disc floret STIGMA SHAPE Bi-parted STIGMA COLOR Near N186A RHSOTHER FLOWER CHARACTERISTICS — QUANTITY OF SEEDS Seed production has notbeen observed. ROOT STRUCTURES such as Fibrous root BULBS, CORMS orRHIZOMES? LOW TEMPERATURE TOLERANCE 0° C. (However, the plant would beseriously damaged by frost, as other Senecio Plant, at any temperature.)HIGH TEMPERATURE TOLERANCE Normal DISEASE RESISTANCE AND/OR NormalSUSCEPTIBILITY PEST RESISTANCE AND/OR Normal SUSCEPTIBILITY

This new variety of Senecio plant having the above botanicalcharacteristics is suitable for flower bedding and potting, particularlyin hanging pots or planters.

What is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Senecio plant named‘Sunsenebubakai’, substantially as herein illustrated and described.